Unfortunately, There is no such thing as Superman or Spider-Man in our real world. There is no one we can look up into the sky and see protecting us from the real evil that surrounds us. While superpowers are useful, there are still superheroes who are just like us, making it their duty to protect and serve without any Spider-Sense, X-RayVision, or Adamantium Claws. Living in a world of superheroes without any powers may be tough, but here are my Top Eight Heroes who can still get the job done!

Now, this one kinda cheats on the whole non-superhero thing. He’s a civil war veteran who is magically transported to Barsoom, the planet we know as Mars. On Barsoom, the limited gravity has made him able to leap far and also has made him much stronger. In the pages of Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ The Princess of Mars, written over 100 years ago, he fights alongside the Tharks and eventually teams up with Dejah Thoris to liberate the city of Helium. His adventures continue into the pages of Marvel’s Warlord of Mars.

Denny Colt is another hero that has been around forever. Donning a mask, he fights crime alongside the police of Central City. He is a great detective and is an expert at hand-to-hand combat. The last we have seen of The Spirit is in the pages of Rocketeer/Spirit Pulp Friction.

I’m going to give these two a tie. Basically, they are the same character. They have taken up archery, each for different reasons, and are pretty darn good at it. It gives us hope that if we were dedicated and practiced every day, we may have a chance to fight alongside Captain America in The Avengers or alongside Aquaman in the Justice League. Hey, it can totally happen! Read all about their adventures in their solo titled series and in their team books.

He’s such a bad ass that The Avengers answer to him. Whether it be leading The Ultimates in the Ultimate universe, or getting the Avengers to play along with each other in the movies, he has earned their respect. He’s been around since the days of World War 2, thanks to the fountain of youth known as The Infinity Formula that has slowed his aging. I’ve really enjoyed the Fury title that was put out by the Max imprint.

Natalia Romanoff could go toe-to-toe with any of her male Avengers counterparts in an equal fight, so its no wonder they keep her close. The Russians may have trained her, but she had taken her talents to America and S.H.I.E.L.D. and they were lucky to get them. In addition to her appearances in The Avengers, she is now the star of her own book that showcases her more dangerous side missions.

The mob created Marvel Universe’s most ruthless and dangerous non-powered hero when they gunned down Frank Castles family right in front of him. Since then, Frank has gotten his revenge and set his sights on others that are guilty. He has never backed down from anyone. My favorite Punisher moment was during Siegewhen he outwitted The Sentry, who was then Marvel’s Superman. He currently stars in his own self titled series where he’s gone back to his roots and is now fighting organized crime once again.

I’m putting him on the list even though I forget he doesn’t have superpowers. Lately, with his armor being stored inside his bones, the concept of Iron Man becomes debatable. When Iron Man first appeared, he created the suit to keep himself alive and help him escape captivity. Tony Stark has taken upon himself to use his talents to fight bad guys. He is also the most human of all the characters listed here. The storyline Demon In A Bottle was the first comic that presented real world problems and how it affects his place as a hero.

He comes from money just like Tony Stark does, but he doesn’t wear a suit of armor. In my opinion, he is as human as you can be. He has dedicated his life to train his body and his mind to fight crime in Gotham City. Despite being human and only wearing a cowl, cape, tights, and a utility belt, he can beat any character in the DC Universe. Yes, even Superman. This was best shown in the JLA storyline Tower of Babel. Ras al Ghoul steals Batmans contingency plans to defeat JLA members in case they were to be corrupted. Ras uses these plans and they actually work! Of course, Bruce Wayne is the ultimate non-powered superhero. Just look at his resume!

So that’s my top eight! What are your thoughts? Did I leave anyone off this list? Stay tuned for my next post about the Top Eight Supervillians Without Powers!

-Ted

The views expressed herein are solely those of the writer, and not Midtown Comics. Additionally, Midtown Comics makes no representations as to the accuracy of any of the information expressed herein.